Column selecting means for cardsorting machines



K. J. BRAUN COLUMN SELECTING MEANS FOR CARD SORTING MACHINES Filed 001;.16, 1948 IN V EN TOR. Karl J Brazuz,

Dec. 26, 1950 .trol a distributing mechanism fully explained in PatentedDec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLUMN SELECTING MEANS FORCAR!)- SORTING EdACHINES Karl J. Braun, Glenbrook, Conn, assignor toControl Instrument Company, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., acorporation of NewYork Original application November 25, 1944, Serial No.

565,108, new Patent No. 2,454,628, dated November 23, 1948. Divided andthis appiication October 16, 1948, Serial No. 54,986

9 Claims. (01. 235-6111) 2 This invention relates to improvements instasaid patent. Briefly, said distributing mechatistical card sortingmeans and has particular nism is controlled by a detector slide It! andthe reference to a column selecting mechanism for selector slides letrotatable with the wheel 33 the sensing device of the machine, thisapplicaand all having notches H2 in their outer edges tion being adivision of my copending applica- 5 and all normally urged to the left,as viewed in tion, Serial No. 565,108, filed November 25, 1944, Fig. 2by springs H3, but being prevented from now Patent No. 2,454,628, datedNovember 23, doing so, until a sensing position of a slide is 1948.reached, by means not shown in this applica- An object of the presentinvention is to pro tion. Should a detector pin H36 fail to engage videan improved mechanism of simple and pracw the leading edge portion of acard at the sensing tical construction which will enable the columnarposition of said pin, the latter will not enter a adjustment of a cardsensing device without innotch H2 in the associated slide it'll also atsaid terference with other associated parts of the maposition, and saidslide will then be moved by chine. its spring M3 to align the recess H6in the slide The inventive idea involved is capable of rewith all therecesses the slides I08 of the group ceiving a variety of mechanicalexpressions one in which said slide is? is contained, whereupon ofwhich, for purposes of illustration, is shown in a locking bail i i?normally resting upon the inthe accompanying drawing; but it is to beexner edge of the slide it? will enter said recesses pressly understoodthat said drawing is employed H5, HES to lock said slides, with theresult that merely for the purpose of facilitating the descripsaiddistributor mechanism will be unafiected by tion of the invention as awhole and not to deany subsequent sensing of a hole in the imfine thelimits thereof, reference being had to properly fed card which causedthe operation of the appended claims for this purpose. t e detectorslide. With a in proper posi- In the drawing: tion for sensing, thedetector pin H153 will con- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinalsectional tact the card and enter a notch in the slide it! view of acard sorting machine constructed in to lock the same and any pin #95entering a hole accordance with the invention, and in said card will notengage in a notch H2 in Fig. 2 is a fragmentary isometric view of thethe associated slide E38 and the latter will consensing device and thecolumnar adjusting sequently be moved by its spring H3 to controlmechanism therefor, the mentioned distributor mechanism so that said Thedrawing illustrates only those portions of card will be deposited intoits proper pocket.

a sorting machine sufiicient for an understand- The columnar adjustmentof the sensing Wheel ing of the general operation thereof and of the 33and associated operations, as shown in Fig. 2,

invention herein involved, and reference is made will now be described.It is understood that said to the above identified patent for adescription adjustment is effected before starting a sorting of thecomplete machine. operation and is for the purpose of positioning Asshown in Fig. 1, cards are stacked in the the sensing wheel along theshaft 8? (Fig. 1) so magazine 30 and fed therefrom in a well known thatthe sensing pins will rotate in a plane dimanner by a picker device 96which is reciprorectly above predetermined columns of cards to catedthrough the medium of the linkage gener- 4i be analyzed. Said adjustmentis accomplished by ally indicated at 9 9. As a card is fed from themeans of a feed screw l2! rotatably mounted magazine, it passes betweenfeed rollers 62 to a in machine side pistes (not shown;carrycontinuously rotatable sensing device 33 in the ing a followerblock 22 having rollers i233 enform of a wheel which analyzes each cardgageable on opposite sides of the sensing wheel. While in transitbeneath the device. From the v Said block contacts the front Wall 524(Fig. l) sensing position, the cards pass between rollers of themagazine so that as the screw I21 is 64 and are picked up by the endlessconveyor rotated in either direction the block will move for depositinto the various horizontally arranged therealong and thus shift thewheel axially and pockets 34 in accordance with their analysis by withrespect to the columns of a card. The the sensing device. 50 threadpitch of the shaft 52! is such that one Said device comprises groups ofsensing pins complete revolution thereof by the crank will I05, witheach group also including a detector shift the block 522. andconsequently th wheel pin H15 utilized to sense the presence or absence33, a distance equal to the space between two adof a card at the sensingposition to thereby ,conjacent columns of a card. An apertured indicatorcarried by the block 522 moves over an index scale I26 to indicate theposition of the sensing wheel with respect to the card columns. In orderthat the turning of the shaft IZI may be terminated at the conclusion ofa complete revolution and the sensing wheel accurately positionedrelative tothe desired card column, said shaft carries a cam roller I21having a transverse groove I23 in its periphery in which a roller I29engages when the sensing wheel is correctly set relative to a cardcolumn. Said roller I29 is carried by one end of a rocker arm I33 theother end of which is joined to a rocker shaft i3! by means of the linkI32 and arm I33. A coil spring I34 exerts a constant downward pull uponthe arms I33 and I30 so that the roller I29 will be maintained incontact with the periphery of the roller I21 and the groove I28 thereinand said downward pull is just sufiicient to normally maintain thevertically movable card supporting plate I35 in its upper position whereit cooperates with the sensing pins Ifl-I I33.

Said plate I35 is mounted at the sensing position in cooperation withthe sensing wheel 33 and, during sorting, is in its upper position so asto maintain the cards passing thereover in operative association withthe sensing pins, the upward movement of the plate being limited byengagement of the roller I29 in the groove I28. For the purpose ofpermitting any pin which encounters a hole in a card to pass completelytherethrough and thus not be forced inwardly toward its lockingengagement with one of the slides I31, I08 by contact with said plateI35, the upper surface of the latter is provided with a plurality ofchannels I36 extending in the direc tion of movement of the cards forreceiving the outer ends of said pins in any columnar position of thesensing wheel. Therefore, in order to prevent possible mutilation of thepins when axially adjusting the wheel 33, means are provided forlowering said plate I35 sufiiciently to permit said pins to freely passlaterally thereover without contacting the side walls of any channelI36. To this end, the plate I35 is supported by a bracket I31 linked tothe rocker arms I 38 fixed upon the rocker shaft I3I. With thisarrangement, as the crank 32 is initially turned to efiect an adjustmentof the wheel 33, the cam roller I2'I will depress the roller I29 as thelatter is disengaged from the groove I28, and the arm I30 is thus movedabout its pivot to rock the shaft I3I in the proper direction to depressthe plate I35. With the roller I29 engaging the high surface of the camroller IZ'I, the plate I35 will be held in its lowered position free ofthe sensing pins on the wheel 33 until a complete revolution of theshaft IZI and consequent shifting of said wheel the distance between twoadjacent columns is efiected, whereupon said roller I29 again enters thegroove I23 under the influence of the spring I34, and the rocker arm I33then reverses its movement to raise the plate I35 to its operativeposition in which the pins I95, I06 will enter one of the channels I35when they do notengage a card during rotation of the sensing wheel.

The provision of the vertically movable plate I35, with its operatingconnections including the spring I34, provides a yieldable support forthe cards at the sensing position so that in the event of a card jamthereat the pressure of the jammed card or cards upon the plate will besufiicient to force the latter downwardly against the tension of thespring I34, and this downward movement of said plate, however slight itmay be, will tend .to minimize the possibility of damage to the sensingpins I05, I06 by the jammed cards and also reduce the magnitude of thejam by providing additional space between the sensing wheel and theplate through which some of the cards may pass before the machine isstopped.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sorter, a sensing means, a movable card supporting plate incooperative relation with said means during a sensing operation, meansto yieldably maintain said supporting plate in cooperation with saidsensing means, means to efiect columnar adjustments of said sensingmeans, and means to move said plate out of cooperative relation withsaid sensing means during adjust ments of the latter.

2. In a sorter, a sensing means including pins, a movable cardsupporting plate in cooperative relation with said means during asensing operation and provided with channels for receiving said pinswhen they are in sensing position, means to yieldably maintain saidsupporting plate in cooperation with said sensing means, means to eiiectcolumnar adjustments of said sensing means, and means controlled by saidadjusting means for moving said plate out of cooperative relation withsaid sensing pins.

3. In a sorter, a rotatable sensing means for sensing cards duringtransitory movement, a movable card supporting plate mounted below saidsensing means, in cooperative relation therewith during a sensingoperation, means to yieldably maintain said supporting plate incooperation with said sensing means, means to effect columnaradjustments of said sensing means, and means controlled by saidadjusting means for moving said plate out of cooperative relation withsaid sensing means.

4. In a sorter, a rotatable sensing device hav ing movements only aroundand longitudinally of its axis of rotation, a card supporting membermovable into and out Of cooperative relation with said sensing device,means to yieldably maintain said supporting member in cooperation withsaid sensing device, means to move said sensing device longitudinally,and means controlled by the operation of said moving means and acting inopposition to the first named means for moving said supporting memberout of cooperative relation with said sensing device during saidlongitudinal movement.

5. In a sorter, a rotatable sensing wheel including sensing pinsnormally extending in sensmg position beyond the periphery of saidwheel, a card supporting member having movements lnto and out ofcooperative relation with said pins and provided with channels forreceiving the pins when the same are extended and the Wheel is rotated,means to yieldably maintain said supporting plate in cooperation withsaid sensing means, means to adjust said wheel column- W186 of a card,and means controlled by the last named means to move said supportingmember out of cooperative relation with said pins so that the latterwill not extend into said channels.

6. In a sorter, a rotatable sensing wheel includmg sensing pins normallyextending in sensing position beyond the periphery of said wheel, a cardsupporting member having movements into and out of cooperative relationwith said pins and provided with channels for receiving the pins whenthe same are extended and the wheel is rotated, an operating element forsaid wheel having means engageable on opposite sides thereof to movesaid wheel axially when said elementis operated, a feed screw foroperating said-element, and connections between said feed screw and cardsupporting member for moving the latter out Of cooperative relation withsaid pins when said screw is turned.

'7. In a sorter, a sensing means, a movable card supporting membernormally in association with said sensing means for the passage of cardstherebetween while being sensed, and means to yieldably maintain saidsupporting member in its normal position.

8. In a sorter, a sensing means, a movable card supporting membernormally in cooperative position relative to said sensing means andmovable out of said position under excessive pressure by cards thereon,and means to maintain said supporting member in its normal positionexcept when excessive pressure is applied to the same by said cards.

9. In a sorter, a sensing means, a card supporting member movable intoand out of cooperative relation with said sensing means, a rock-REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,432,345 Lasker Oct. 17, 19221,741,992 Kleckler Dec. 31, 1929

